1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a magnetic fastener which includes manually separable male and female assemblies of a type which may be used with the closure flap of a handbag. The magnetic fastener serves to utilize attractive forces between a permanent magnet and one assembly in a ferromagnetic member and the other assembly so as to provide a magnetic, mechanically locked engagement therebetween. The locking engagement between the permanent magnet and the ferromagnetic member may then be manually released upon actuation of a lock release button.
2. Discussion of the Background
The fastener of the present invention comprises a variation of a general type of magnetic fastener such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,021,891; 4,453,294; and 5,274,889, and more particularly, is an improvement of the magnetic type slide fasteners shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,199,138; 5,253,394; 5,377,392; 5,515,581 and 5,572,772, the disclosure of each of the above-noted patents being incorporated herein by reference. The magnetic fasteners described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,021,891; 4,453,294 and 5,274,889 include cooperating female and male member assemblies.